Meta has launched the latest versions of its Llama artificial intelligence models, referring to them as the first open-weight models with built-in multimodal abilities.
Among the new releases are Llama 4 Scout and Llama 4 Maverick, which are designed to handle different types of content beyond just text, such as images or audio. The new Llama 4 models, introduced on April 4, are based on some of the most advanced large language models currently available.
The company was also previewing the Llama 4 Behemoth, described as their most powerful model so far, intended to guide and improve the performance of the newer versions, PYMNTS reported.
OpenAI plans return to open-source with upcoming LLM
OpenAI is planning to release an open-source version of its large language model (LLM), something it hasn’t done since 2019. An open-source model means it would be free for anyone to use, change, and share.
The company behind ChatGPT shared this news through a feedback form, asking developers, researchers, and the public for suggestions to make the model as useful as possible. OpenAI revealed the new open-source model will be available in the coming months.
The last time OpenAI released an open-source model was GPT-2 in 2019. Its latest model is GPT-4.5.
OpenAI began keeping its models private after receiving a $1 billion investment from Microsoft. This partnership, which focuses on AI development, has grown over the years, with Microsoft investing more than $13 billion.
As a result, OpenAI’s models are currently only available to users of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
“OpenAI’s decision comes as open-source models like Meta’s Llama, Mistral’s LLM and DeepSeek have been gaining in popularity. In March, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Threads that Llama has been downloaded 1 billion times. Llama was launched in 2023,” as per PYMNTS.
Meta eyes $65 billion AI push in 2025
Meta has been putting a lot of money into artificial intelligence over the past two years, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg sharing plans to spend up to $65 billion in 2025 to boost the company’s AI tools and technologies.
Recently, the company also shared that it wanted to expand its AI efforts beyond just social media. It is considering offering paid subscriptions for its AI assistant, Meta AI, which could help users with tasks like making reservations or creating videos.
